‘Almost Paradise’: PH-set US action series is ‘proudly Pinoy’

Christian Kane in “Almost Paradise”

There’s much to celebrate in “Almost Paradise,” the 10-episode US TV action series that began airing on the WGN America network on March 30.

One of the show’s creators and producers is Fil-Am Hollywood hotshot Dean Devlin (“Independence Day,” “Godzilla,” “Universal Soldier,” “The Librarians”)—and we’re only too happy to note how delightfully his “homebound” risk has gloriously paid off.

“Almost Paradise” plays out like a series of breezily realized family-friendly popcorn flicks that show the Philippines and its deep pool of reliable actors in a flattering light.

To be honest, we expected nothing but patronizing kitsch and screwball entertainment from the series, but the intended one-time viewing unexpectedly turned into a five-episode viewing binge that was satisfying as all get-out.

While it is clear that the characters are portrayed with the actors’ tongues firmly in cheek, it’s hard to begrudge the series of its easygoing, ’70s-style ability to entertain its audience as it unapologetically wears its good-over-evil vibe on its sleeve.

It may neither be groundbreaking nor original, but the misadventures its beleaguered protagonist, Alex Walker (Christian Kane, winkingly self-deprecating in a role that channels Richard Dean Anderson armed with a hefty sense of humor), always finds himself in are lusciously framed by the glistening tropical beauty of Cebu, as captured and seen through the lens of director of photography Pao Orendain.

But the sumptuous allure of any movie or TV production’s visuals can quickly overstay its welcome without episodes that leave viewers asking for more, or a lead actor that viewers can root for.

Fortunately, the 47-year-old lead actor and Billboard-charting singer (of the country rock group Kane) more than passes muster in that regard. Christian possesses an oddball charm that enables his nice-guy appeal to ooze out of Alex’s cynicism—a tricky balancing act in characterization that the show benefits from.

Alex is a former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who’s been forced into early retirement by two factors: The betrayal of his longtime partner in the US government’s war on drugs, as well as his unmanaged hypertension, which goes off-kilter every time he’s forcibly thrust into situations involving gun-wielding grifters and goons of various persuasions.

Cast in the aforementioned roles to lock horns with Alex and his colleagues are Filipino or Philippine-based character actors who acquit themselves well in their roles, among them Will Devaughn (as a drug lord peddling a deadly derivative of synthetic heroin that makes crack look like aspirin), Sandino Martin (as an airport security guard who’s in cahoots with a sex trafficking syndicate), Paul Holme (as a former Soviet officer masquerading as a documentary filmmaker), Eric Tai (as a neighborhood bully harassing small-time “carinderia” owners) and Ryan Eigenmann (as a crime boss holding court in a high-profile hostage situation inside the Mactan Police Department).

Samantha Richelle

But the treasure trove of Filipino talents in the series isn’t just relegated to “contravida” characters—in fact, sharing stellar billing with Christian in the series are Art Acuña (as Detective Ernesto Alamares), the lovely Samantha Richelle (as Kai Mendoza), Nonie Buencamino (as deliciously ambiguous Mactan Police Department chief Ike Ocampo), Angeli Bayani (as a bindi-wearing Indian physician sternly monitoring Christian’s blood pressure) and the disarming Ces Quesada, who delivers flippant dialogue with a hilarious Thai-sounding accent (as Alex’s scene-stealing landlady Cory).

Zsa Zsa Padilla

Then there’s Episode 3, where we see Zsa Zsa Padilla portraying Nina Rosales, the Cebu governor Kai is tasked to protect at all costs.

The embarrassment of casting riches doesn’t end there: Viewers will also see more than just a handful of reliable Filipino actors in supporting, cameo and bit roles, including Nikki Valdez, Lou Veloso, Chanel Latorre, Beverly Salviejo, Maritina Romulo, Guji Lorenzana, Benj Manalo, Patrick Sugui, Jay Gonzaga, Ricci Chan, Yan Yuzon, Zeppi Borromeo, Boom Labrusca, Manu Respall, Bong Cabrera, Bettina Magsaysay and the consistently easy-on-the-eye Annicka Dolonius.

The show, produced in collaboration with the movers and shakers of ABS-CBN, is no slouch at entertaining its audience. But it’s nonetheless a thrill just to see those Pinoy actors, whether famous or vaguely familiar, giving it their best shot—with mixed results, of course.

Thank you, Mr. Devlin for the showcase! It’s the perfect perk-me-up source of Pinoy pride that we can appreciate in these “locked down” trying times.

In the first episode, Alex “retreats” to Mactan Island nine months after he hangs up his DEA uniform. Haunted by his bosom buddy’s crossover to the dark side, he decides to spend his early retirement by buying a rundown gift shop at the center of a bustling tourist resort in Mactan.

But when Alex inadvertently makes a mess out of a sting job, he feels obligated to give local police a helping hand. The succeeding episodes slowly introduce snippets of Alex’s backstory—like the estranged daughter he remembers when he meets a precocious young girl in Season 2 whose father dies at the hands of sex traffickers.

In Episode 3, Alex is drawn to disparate problems faced by a local politician and a bullied restaurateur, who keeps feeding him electric eel soup and “balut” (duck’s embryo). The goons in Episode 4, directed by Dan Villegas, are even deadlier, digging up the ocean in the dive sites of the Olango Channel—to retrieve a nuclear weapon worth $1 billion!

There’s a huge typhoon and a band of gangsters in Episiode 5, but what truly resonates with us about this particular episode is how Alex ends up experiencing the potent power of “bayanihan” at the hands of people who he thought didn’t care for him.

The lighthearted but heartwarming scene shows Alex at a loss for words as he becomes the recipient of his Filipino neighbors’ kind gesture and acts of kindness. But we knew we really wanted to see more of the show when Cory, Alex’s landlady, simply laughed at the look of surprise on Alex’s face.

“Pamilya ka (you’re family now),” she reminds him with a gentle and reassuring smile. “It’s impossible to lose everything [if you’re surrounded by family].”

The thoughtfully staged sequence, helmed by Milan Todorovic, is one of the reasons why we continue to root for Alex and his resilient and easygoing Pinoy pals. So, we look forward to seeing more of what’s to come for them in this chaotic place that’s made to feel “almost like paradise” by the people who live in it with their big hearts worn on their sleeve.

Nonie Buencamino